Academy for Educational Development
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New Web Site Promotes Safe Disposal of "Community Needles" At Least 3 Billion Needles Used Outside of Medical Settings Each Year Washington, D.C., March 16, 2004 — Billions of used needles are discarded each year outside of medical settings. A new Web site helps communities promote the safe disposal of needles not regulated by medical waste laws. The Safe Community Needle Disposal Web site developed by Academy for Educational Development (AED) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first to compile needle disposal laws and regulations in one place and provide state-by-state summaries. It is designed to help anyone interested in safe syringe disposal, including people with diabetes and others who use syringes to inject medicines. The Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal reports at least 3 billion injections occur yearly outside of health care settings. Two-thirds of these injections are administered by people with diabetes and patients receiving home health care. One billion illegal drug injections occur each year. Most laws governing medical waste are intended for health care centers, such as doctor's offices, hospitals and clinics. "Safe disposal of used needles, syringes and other sharps used in at-home settings is a public health priority," said Margaret Anderson deputy director for the AED Center on AIDS and Community Health. "Many of these needles are simply discarded in household garbage, putting solid waste workers and the public at risk of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis." Currently, each state has its own laws and regulations affecting labeling, transportation, and disposal of used needles. The Safe Community Needle Disposal Web site categorizes information in the following way by state:
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